Respiratory Therapist are making differences throughout all aspects of medical care. One of the key issues leading today’s medical needs is Autism having little to no support from federal, state or legislative governments. Children, Young Adults and Families are impacted every day with growing need for education, research and support.
Some of you may not know what Autism is. That is OK. This blog is intended to educate you in this and introduce you to a field that needs Respiratory Therapist. It can combine with Neurological, Behavioral and Cognitive conditions with ongoing research implementing sustainment of daily living and care for most of these kids needs. We are changing our roles from Acute care to Chronic Care sustainment and we all must be aware of different situational disorders. Having been afflicted with this in our family, I am making an effort to express how important this condition must be exposed. Children need our help and this is important.
Autism Speaks, 2014 states that "Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. With the May 2013 publication of the DSM-5 diagnostic manual, all autism disorders were merged into one umbrella diagnosis of ASD. Previously, they were recognized as distinct subtypes, including autistic disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and Asperger syndrome.
ASD can be associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination and attention and physical health issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal disturbances. Some persons with ASD excel in visual skills, music, math and art."
Why are Respiratory Therapist important here? We are in essence the beside caregivers for most patients who need pulmonary and cardiac care. We are acute management personnel with the feasibility understand emergencies. One of the key roles of the Respiratory Therapist is to help assist and evaluate situational crisis. In such situations, some of these patients might seem to have altered mental status or acute behavioral issues when in turn, it might be a cognitive disassociation to world life events. Understanding the disorder and implementing a stratergy is our job in the hospital. With most of these patients, the brain is affected. Most of these kids have a right or left brain dominant complex. Some of these kids do not have the social stratergies to talk with you. Therefore, your techniques for evualuating these patients needs to be fine tuned.
I am asking all Respriatory Therapist to understand this condition.
1 out of every 88 kids are born with this.
36,500 out of 4 million is born each year with this condition.
It is the least funded from the government.
CDC
In a recent article, GI symptoms have been associated with research towards Autism. http://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/autism-speaks-announces-unprecedented-investment-gut-brain-research
In part, we should m ake every effort to work kids who might be afflicted with this!!Dr Buhain, Joseph
Program Director for Respriatory Care and Simulation Studies
Naval Campus Liason Officer